I think that it is safe to say that I have established my reputation as a proud nerd. If my ramblings about lusting over graduate school programs and my obsessive writings about potential application portal dates did not make that clear, then I don’t think that anything will. Whenever my fellow classmates, or characters in … Continue reading Grad School Programs that Make my Heart Flutter
An Ode to Personal Statements
In school, I can recall a countless number of times when writing a personal essay or speech was met with horror and dread by my classmates. They would complain that talking about themselves was too hard, awkward, or embarrassing. Especially when it came to talking about accomplishments, at which my peers would shudder and present … Continue reading An Ode to Personal Statements
Impatiently Patiently Waiting for Applications to Open
The last time my phone battery drained this quickly was in the Spring of 2013 when I was waiting for the admissions decision from the undergraduate admissions department for NYU. Since September, I have been compulsively refreshing the postgraduate admissions pages and waiting for the application portals to open. For some god forsaken reason, the … Continue reading Impatiently Patiently Waiting for Applications to Open
The Grad Student Blog I Wanted to Find
For the past few months, I have scoured the internet looking for a particular type of blog. I wanted to read content about students from the United States currently doing a graduate degree program abroad. Despite spending countless of my lunch hours on google, changing the search terms to encompass every possible combination of “American … Continue reading The Grad Student Blog I Wanted to Find
Reverse Culture Shock… Again
Transitioning back to life in the United States after spending five months in South East Asia presented some challenges. While no longer sweating every second of the day and being able to understand conversations around me was nice, some other aspects shocked me. People talk a lot about culture shock in terms of going to … Continue reading Reverse Culture Shock… Again
Why I Stopped Volunteering Abroad
Where have I been? That is an excellent question. About ten months ago I finished up my volunteer trip early, spent two and a half weeks traveling Thailand, flew back home, found a job, moved to San Francisco, and pretty much abandoned this blog. My life turned upside-down, inside out, and became very different and … Continue reading Why I Stopped Volunteering Abroad
Five “Weird” Things I do in Cambodia
Before I came to Cambodia, I read countless blogs from other travelers to learn as much as I could about the country, what to pack, and how to do things once I arrived. The same things seemed to come up every time: save as much money as possible before coming, haggle on prices, pack light; I … Continue reading Five “Weird” Things I do in Cambodia
Cafés Where I Like to Hide from the Sun
With complicated homesick emotions, a lack of duties from the NGO, and rising temperatures, I spend most of my days hanging out in cafes in Phnom Penh. While the city boasts many cute and interesting looking spots, many that I have tried and failed to convince myself to pop into, I tend to return to the same few over and over again. I am a creature of habit and tend to be indecisive. As such, I have limited myself to only a few options for where to spend my afternoon hours. Time and time again, I ride my bike through the sweltering heat and arrive sweaty and red faced to my favorite locations, desperate for a cool beverage and a sweet treat. Since these places have brought me so much joy during my time in Cambodia, and especially in the last month, I thought I would share them with you.
What Happened in April?
The emotional roller coaster that has been April presented me with some of the most conflicted and complicated emotions I have had since coming to Cambodia. I felt calm and stressed, exhilarated and defeated, grateful and yet desperate to leave. A lot of enjoyable things took place in April, but I also found myself feeling … Continue reading What Happened in April?
Motorbike Misadventures at Bokor National Park
“Have you ridden a motorbike before?” “No, I haven’t, but I can do it.” “If you do not know how to ride one I am unable to rent it to you.” “Oh no, actually I have ridden one before. It has just been a while.” I could feel the blood drain from my face as … Continue reading Motorbike Misadventures at Bokor National Park
The Traveling Smith 